Omni 1:5-7 -- On Wickedness and Prosperity

"Behold, it came to pass that three hundred and twenty years had passed away, and the more wicked part of the Nephites were destroyed.
For the Lord would not suffer, after he had led them out of the land of Jerusalem and kept and preserved them from falling into the hands of their enemies, yea, he would not suffer that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land.
Wherefore, the Lord did visit them in great judgment; nevertheless, he did spare the righteous that they should not perish, but did deliver them out of the hands of their enemies."
Omni 1:5-7


I think we sometimes look around and wonder why the wicked are prospering, and we aren't. Comparison is rarely a good strategy in these thoughts, but we do it anyway, and we start to doubt the promise of Mosiah 2:41 ... that those who keep the commandments will be blessed in all things. Where are our blessings like that one guy? He seems pretty wicked, and he has more stuff than me... that sort of thing. I think we do that, first, because we aren't aware of all of our blessings, and second because we don't understand the timing of the Lord. All things DO work together for them that love God (Romans 8:28 and elsewhere), but that doesn't mean that all of our trials will just evaporate. Many of our trials *are* working towards our good because they are teaching us to be stronger and better, more faithful, better able to help others, more resilient, more wise... so many things. God is also influencing the good to prosper and the bad to be removed, but he is doing it on his timetable, not ours.

This verse reminds me of the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees in Jacob 5, and has a similar message, talking about the way that the master of the vineyard was pruning his vineyard: "ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow" (verse 66). God spares the righteous and destroys the wicked, but he first wants to make sure that his careful pruning doesn't destroy the good with the bad... and I think most importantly for changing our perspective, sometimes the waiting time between wicked actions and destructions helps the wicked to *become* good. We can all benefit from God's mercy and that waiting period where he makes sure wickedness is really what we want, and gives us a chance to repent.

Today, let's remember that God always fulfills his promises. If we can't see how, then we need to do some thinking and searching to discover the answers, not doubt God. Sometimes, as in this case, those promises are being fulfilled on a grander time scale than we imagine or desire, but they are still happening. Let's trust in the Lord and "cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed" (D&C 123:17).